Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson's game looks different

Mike Matheson looks different.

After all, the Penguins defenseman has a black left eye.

That came from a teammate. During a 3-0 road win against the Washington Capitals, Matheson took a puck in the face on an errant clearing attempt by goaltender Tristan Jarry.

As a result, Matheson missed the final four games of the regular season and saw his chances to land on the cover of GQ decrease substantially.

He also had to dress differently.

At least from the neck up.

During practices this week in Cranberry, Matheson has been donning a cage on his helmet to protect the unspecified injury to his face.

He has not sported such an apparatus since he was playing at the NCAA level with Boston College in 2015.

“I feel good,” Matheson said. “It’s weird putting that cage back on. I haven’t worn it since college. It’s a bit of an adjustment, but I feel good.”

Matheson also looks different in ways that go beyond the boundaries of cosmetic appeal.

He appears much more assured of himself as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins than he ever did with the Florida Panthers.

“My confidence level is just at a new level compared to last year. It was a tough year, and I put all of that on my shoulders,” said Matheson, who largely was disappointing after the Panthers selected him in the first round of the 2012 draft.

“Obviously, I didn’t deliver, and I didn’t play up to my potential. And I only have myself to blame for that. That’s where my head was at going into the offseason, and my only focus was making sure that I came ready to play this year. Throughout this season, my focus was just to build my game up, and step by step, get back to the level that I wanted to be at. I feel like I’m getting there. I still have a lot to work on, just like any player.

“But I think my confidence level is in a lot better place where I’m less worried about making mistakes. That’s the hardest thing to do is if you’re thinking about making mistakes ... you’re going to make a lot of them because that’s what you’re thinking about. Being able to be in a better place mentally during games, I’m reading and reacting and making plays and being a little more sure of myself.”

Matheson participated in the Panthers’ brief entry in the 2020 postseason tournament that was jury-rigged with a different format because of the pandemic. But during the Panthers’ four-game run in which they were eliminated by the New York Islanders, Matheson was a healthy scratch for two of those contests.

Acquired by the Penguins in a September trade, he is eager to get back to a more traditional playoff format for the first time since 2016.

“I’m super excited to be able to get into the playoffs here,” Matheson said. “As much as the (qualifying-round games) were playoff hockey in a sense, they weren’t the real playoffs. It’s been a long time. It’s been five years, I guess, since I played in a playoff hockey game, and I’m pumped to back in one.”

Notes: Goaltender Casey DeSmith participated in practice Wednesday in Cranberry for the first time since he suffered an undisclosed injury during a 7-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on May 3. While DeSmith and forward Evgeni Malkin practiced, they did not take part in a scrimmage for what coach Mike Sullivan termed as a “coach’s decision.” Malkin recently missed 23 games with a presumed right knee injury.